Seat at the Table Project

“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
– Shirley Chisholm

Inspired by Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm’s famous words and life story, the Kennedy Institute launched the Seat at the Table Project in Fall 2018. Through the project, the Institute invited individuals, schools, and community organizations to think about why diversity of representation is vital and what necessary contributions we each bring to the table when we pull up a chair.

This collaborative project is a companion to the Institute’s three-phase A Seat at the Table exhibit which featured a selection of chairs created by project participants during its second phase. Download the lesson plan and guide your students or family members in creating a physical representation of a seat at the table for themselves, their class, and their community.

Contact us to share your project outcomes or pictures of your chairs. We will soon be launching a new website featuring the many beautiful seats at the table our partners and artist collaborators have created, and we’d like to include yours, too! For more information, e-mail seatatthetable@emkinstitute.org.